Where did Robin Go?
by Yarito lo
Summary: Robin's gone missing and a new villian Crow is on the scene. Can the Young Justice find Robin and defeat Crow before Gotham is blown up? This takes place before the new season: Invasion.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I do not own any of the characters of the DC Nation. Crow is an O.C…ish.**

**Anyways, I hope people enjoy the story. I'll try to upload about 1,000 words each time I put in new "chapter"… author notes aren't included.**

**If anyone feels as if the story isn't very good… well, you'll just have to tell my why. I am always open to criticism. I choose a T rating because there are some things kids shouldn't be reading… don't know if the rating will change, still working on plot and all that.**

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"Looky, looky, what the cage brought in," the Joker laughed, "a little birdy to play with."

"Oh come on Mr. J," Quinn pulled at the Joker's arm as he got up from his seat. "let's find out who he is this time."

"All in time Babs. All in time." The Joker's laughter rang out through the compound.

**_Eleven Months Later:_**

Crow walked into mayor's office a knife balanced on the tip of his finger. As he passed by the glass bookshelf he stopped to look himself in the mirror. His hair had grown out an inch or two since the last time he was here. It was bleached white and green at the tips. The mask held on his face had been added to with purple and black diamond on each eye.

Crow smacked his lips the red bright against his painted pale skin. His un-occupied hand reached out and touched the mask. If only he could take it off, but as he tried to peel it off he felt the mask hold on tighter to his skin. Almost like a suction cup. Crow gritted his teeth.

"Come on Crow, not the mask again."

"No," Crow replied, "You know what I was thinking Babs. Your right. I need to change to a more purplish color. The red is just too striking." Crow looked his whole body over the mirror. He had on a bright lime green, long-sleeved, silk blouse. On top of the button up blouse was an obsidian vest that had two dancing Crow birds on each breast pocket, one green and one a royal purple. The back held a calligraphy J. The "J" was written in purple and outlined in the same lime green as his shirt. The "J" was so that he'd never forget who he belonged to. He had on black silk pants that clung to him. He also had on a set of what looked like ballet shoes, but as he turned away from the mirror revealed that there was no sole to them. "…The rest of the outfit has grown on me…. Sort of." Crow shifted his hand and pulled the dagger back into his sleeve. As he walked towards the Mayors' desk , Crow could feel all the knifes hidden under his clothing shift with him.

He smiled, pearly whites showing, "oh Gov'ner," Crow adopted a British accent as he turned the governor's chair around, "Help us out here won't ya?" the governor was tapped down to his chair eye glaring at Crow as laughter filled the room.

"Oh Crow. You're just like your father." Bab's voice filled the room as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Crow's smile fell from his face and he shook Bab's hand off of him.

"So Mayor, here's the deal," Crow dropped the British accent. "You see there's a problem here and you're the only one that can fix it."

"Yeah Mayor." Bab sat onto the Mayor of Gothom's lap. "Yeah see, we want Mister J back and you're in the way."

"So," Crow produced a different knife from under his sleeve. "Here's what we're going to do," he pushed it into the neck of the mayor, "you're going to call Batman and ask him to give us Mister J or," Crow put a bit more preassure onto the knife drawing blood from the mayor's kneck, "We. Are. Going. To. Kill…" Crow removed the knife. "Did you think we were going to say kill you?" Bab's laughed. "No," Crow put the knife back onto the mayor's neck. He pushed the knife back in, "We're going to kill thousands." He held out his other hand and Babs set a small black device in his hands, "you see this?"

Crow walked away from the mayor and then spun him around to look out the window. Outside the window the street was packed with cops, their guns pointed towards them. "You see them." He pushed the mayor's chair into the window, slamming the guys face closer to them. "Put the two together. If we don't get Mister J back, we're going to have some uncontrolled fun." He released the mayor and watched the man fall to the floor. As soon as the mayor was out of his graps the police fired at the villain. The bullets hit the fire proof glass, but that didn't matter when the dust settled the Joker's troops had already disappeared out of the office.

_**Ten minutes later:**_

Batman was in the mayor's office looking all the evidence over. He'd already watched the video fed and was left with only one puzzling question. What was the box? He'd run his scans on them and couldn't figure out what it was. It was unresponsive to anything. He walked over to the desk and picked the small box back up.

"Any idea what it is Batman."

"No." His gruff voice answered the officer. If only Robin was here, he'd of figured it out by now. Just as he spoke the black object lifted into the air and started to flash a timer. It was a boom. The time read in stark white color: "00:10", and had already started to count down. Batman through himself over the Mayor who had just walked in yelling to everyone else, "Get down."

The boom went off with a bang…

… and some fireworks and a sign popped up. Purple and green confetti sprung out of it with a loud bat screech and a green flare on one side and a purple on the other. The sign read, "Ha Ha." And was scribbled in what looked like blood.

Then all the TV's all across Gotham turned on to the faces of two clowns, Quinn and Crow. The two laughing and then Crow stopped. "There I laughed with you." He left the picture and Quinn was left on stage all by herself.

Quinn smiled back at the camera, "heheh," She looked behind her, "Hold on just a moment."

The whole city watched as she walked away from the camera. The audience could hear whispering and then Babs was pulling Crow back on to the set.

Crow sighed, "We were just at the mayor's and laid down some law."

Quinn spoke up, "We want Mister J back."

Crow glared at Quinn. Quinn put her hands over her mouth, "So we left a gift for the Major, and Batman just set if off. It wasn't a bomb, at least that one wasn't." An image of Gotham was flashed on the screen. It had several brightly colored purple and green dots that were flashing. The dots appeared to have no set order or reason to them but they scattered and filled the whole city.

"Give us Mister J back or we'll start setting off each one of these." The screen was supposed to go off at this point but it kept rolling. Babs walked over to Crow and wrapped her arms around him.

"Come on, Crow." The two leaned together and then Crow looked at the camera.

"Turn it off already." The screen went dark and then the map was flashed on the screen again.

"Batman what's the chance that those two did set up bombs?"

An officer replied before Batman go the chance, "I dunno know. Quinn most likely not, but Crow…" Every eye turned to Batman. He stood looking at the box still floating in the air, could those hold bombs? How'd the fireworks, confetti, and sign fit in the box to begin with was beyond him. It wasn't humanly possible.

This meant he was going to have to call in some friends. Gotham was going to need some help and the cape wonder wasn't going to be enough.

He looked over at the sign; this wasn't the only thing the two had up their sleeves. That blood had to be somebodies, and Batman got a sinking feeling in his stomach that he knew whose blood it was going to turn out to be—his missing son's Richard Grayson.

_**Mount Justice:**_

The Young Justice Team gathered into the entrance to the cave. Red Tornado had called them back from the previous mission the group had been on. It had been a simple information gathering mission that had been put onto the back burner when the Bat had called.

His face looked grim, more so than usual, as he stared down the young teens. Aqualad, Kid Flash, Super Boy, Zatana, and Miss Martian starred back at him, their faces eager. Ever since Robin disappeared almost a year ago, the team had had little contact with Bat and tonight they held onto the possibility that he might have news about his protégé.

"Gotham is in trouble."

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**Dun. Dun. Dun.**

**So, I'm also a mediocre artist and will be posting a picture of Crow on my profile… when I get a version I actually want the rest of the world to see.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Update. Update…. Several of you have asked: Who is Crow? Stay tuned and if you haven't figured it out by the end of chapter 3 then…. Dun dun dun. **

**I'm learning that ff doesn't recognize what I originally had for spacing in the story. I'll be bolding Author Notes and changes in set... and I've figured out how to make horizontal lines :)**

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_**Mount Justice**_

"Gotham is in trouble." The Bat paused for dramatic effect, "I need your guys' help." The map of Gotham flashed onto the screen. "For those of you who aren't aware, Crow and Quinn just sent out a message to the whole of Gotham. They've planted some type of alien tech around the city. We have yet to confirm what the tech is capable of doing." When Batman came back on screen he wasn't looking at them but held a small piece of paper with words written in blood. He held it carefully in his gloved hand.

"Batman?" Aqualad was the first to speak up.

The Bat looked up to meet the stares of the whole team, "there was a message left with the first box. It's written in blood."

"Was it the Mayor's?"

"No," The group could feel the words left unspoken between them, "I'm having it analyzed now and we'll figure out who else Crow and Quinn are holding. I've also sent the box to Green Lantern and Martian for analysis. It'll be your job to find them and naturalize them once the League can figure out what the boxes are capable of. Aqualad spilt everyone up, but be careful." The Bat was off screen before anyone could say anything.

"Do you think—" Me'gaan let the rest of the words fall into silence as the team met each other's gaze. She switched to talking to them through they're link, _Do you think that could be Robin's blood?_

They were all thinking the same thing. Batman had had that look. It's hard to describe with the Bat because all he's facial expressions looked… well no, were the same. It had only been in the last eleven months, after Robin's disappearance, that the other team members had begun to understand the Cape Wonder's attitudes better. Tonight they'd all read a mix of hope and dread. Bat was thinking the same thing. That message had been for the Bats alone—Joker still had Robin.

_How are we going to split up? _Zatanna looked at Aqualad as the group started to feel a new sense of urgency—for Gotham and now for the possibility of finally finding Robin.

_Superboy and Miss Martian will check on the east side of Gotham._ _Artimis and Zatanna to the West. We will need to call in Rocket, KF you'll cover the north side with Rocket and I and Red Arrow for the south of Gotham. He owes Robin. Also be warned, if you run into Crow radio for help. He has recently been moved up in the Tower Watch List and we have been order to call in a League Member to apprehend him. _No one needed to be reminded of that fact. Since his arrival on stage eight months ago, everyone had learned the hard way that Crow was a hard villain. The League had to send in three of the original founders—the Bat, Superman, and Martian Hunter—to stop him. He was put into prison and it only took him thirty minutes to break back out—a new prison record. It was beyond the understanding of the League why Crow would listen and obey everything Joker said to him—maybe family ties. Joker claimed to be Crow's father. And that was one man who should never have had a kid—the kid didn't fall far from the tree. The team moved toward the hanger to get into the Bioship, but then Aqualad held up his hand to stop them; gaining all their attention again.

"I do not need to stress the importance of this mission_,_"Kaldur looked at each of the members in turn, "if it is Robin and if he is still out there. We will find him. He was our team mate."

_He still is. _The team wasn't sure who said that last part, but they all nodded their heads, all in agreement. Robin had been gone long enough.

_**The Batcave**_** ~ 10 minutes later**

"Master Bruce." Alfred looked at his care.

Bruce slowly lifted his head off of the computer keys. He'd dosed off at the computer again, still in his outfit. The man hadn't been sleeping well at all since the disappearance of Master Richard. It was warring on both of them. Each time he'd have to search out his young charge to drag him to bed and sleep at least an hour or two. Alfred couldn't handle worrying over Master Richard disappearance and the failing help of Master Bruce, while also keeping up appearance that the Wayne's were happy and on vacation on their private island while he looked after the house. The press had read it as a needed vacation of father and son time, especially since the press got wind of Master Richard's school records and saw the attendance record—which looked a lot like Swiss cheese—full of holes.

"How long have I been out Alfred?" He rubbed his face.

"Only ten minutes sir." Alfred reach down and wiped the oil from Bruce's face off of the keys, "I figured out I should allow you to sleep a little while. But then the computer started to beep, done with the blood results and I thought that you might like to be awake to find out."

Bruce didn't even wait for Alfred to finish before he pushed himself over to the other key pad to pull up the results.

The screen red in blaring red letters: NO MATCH.

Bruce stopped for a second. This was either really good or really bad. It was good because that meant that Crow and Quinn didn't have someone with high authority power, but that was also bad because it could mean either a new foe, or a Leaguer.

"Did you check it through the MR2 files Master Bruce?"

Bruce started to type away at the board pulling the data from the test into the MR2 files. These files contained the blood, finger prints, and identities of the whole League. It wasn't connected to the main League main frame and there was one password required in order to access the files, after you could find them—Alfred's.

Alfred leaned over Bruce, and the Bat looked away, while it would've been easy to watch him put it in, Batman didn't want to know it. Both he and Robin had set up the files to be accessed by Alfred only—they had to ask Alfred to pull them up because if anyone could judge the character of a man, it was Alfred.

"MR2 files accessed." The computer chirped in the Batcave.

"Run blood search on all League Members to the recent results, ma'am." Alfred spoke.

"Command recognized." The computer set down to work.

Alfred turned to Bruce, "Master Bruce, may I suggest that you get some nourishment while we wait for Miss D to run to necessary programs?"

Bruce glared at Alfred.

"I understand the pressing matters at hand. However, the League and Young Justice are handling the current problems in Gotham city. You will be of no help to the League or Gothom if you faint during a mission."

Bruce opened his mouth to protest.

"Or young Robin."

Bruce shut his mouth. The two looked at each other. They both were hoping that the blood results would match to be Robin's. The hope was unspoken between the two, but for them it was better to be alive and in the hands of Joker, then dead where they couldn't rescue him.

"Go Master Bruce. I will stay and watch the results."

Bruce got up from his chair and head towards the elevator to take him up. He looked around the cave one last time before entering the elevator, thinking to himself, not for the first time, how much he missed his son.

Alfred watched Bruce go. It was hard to see the look on his face. Tonight the depression of losing Richard was harder on them—especially with the chance that he might still be alive.

He looked to the side where Master Robin had placed a spare suit in a container for when missions would go wrong, always prepared. Alfred smiled at this thought—the two of them weren't even Boy Scotts; yet they knew that motto well.

Alfred watched the suit, trying to figure out if it could tell him what went wrong that night eleven months ago…

The computer beeped.

"Match. Richard Grayson. B002 Richard Grayson."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone don't forget to look at the cover for the story. **

**Warning: if you haven't watch the full season of Young Justice and at least episode 3 of Invasion there is a couple of spoilers towards the end of the chapter… just a fair warning. **

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Zatanna, Aqualad, Miss Martian, Kid Flash, Superboy, Artemis, Red Arrow, and Rocket were all in the bioship when the first bomb went off. They were getting ready to drop off the first team when they felt the heat.

The middle of Gotham now had a hole where the Mayor's Office used to be.

"Wow."

"Holy…" KF didn't finish what he was saying as the team turned to look at the aftermath from the bomb.

"I think we have now figured out what the boxes are capable of." Aqualad was the first to break the silence.

"When Crow decides to blow something up he doesn't waste any effort."

Airtimes turned back to everyone in the ship, "How many of those things were supposed to be in Gotham?"

"Fifty."

"Guys, I don't know about you, but how important is Gotham?" The team was coming to the same conclusion. They might be in over their head in this one.

"We're going to need a new plan."

"Agreed." The group was quiet for a moment trying to figure out something. This was usually the time when Robin would chime in about something important or some kind of reading he'd gotten just before the blast…

_Was there any readings before the blast?_

Zatanna jumped out of her seat, "now that you mention it, there was." She turned around to the keyboard in front of her and brought up a screen that held the readings of Gotham before the bomb had gone off.

A few blocks away from the Mayor's office there was a small white reading and then the heat from the bomb the next second.

"Play it again."

"It looks like a catalyst was set off first and then the bomb was exploded." KF put his hand on his chin as he studied the readings. "By the looks of it, whatever sets these off has to be close enough to trigger but far enough to stay out of the reach of the blast itself. Look."

KF pointed the distance out to the other team members.

"Why did the signal not trigger the other bombs in the area?" Artemis joined in.

"Artemis is right," Suberboy also started to question, "Look," he drew attention back to the map.

"The signal that went off is the same distance from these four surrounding bombs. Yet they didn't go off."

"Would they each have a unique trigger?"

"All fifty of them?"

The team got their response when another bomb went off in the northern section of Gotham. This bomb took out most of the park.

"What were the readings on that one."

Zatanna pulled it up. The screen played the same readings over again.

"Hold on," KF held up his hand, "Zoom in." Zatanna did, "play it again." The image repeated. "Did you see that?"

The team starred at KF.

"Duh." KF hit his head, "Slow it down."

This time the whole team could see what KF did. "The signal is directional." Red Arrow spoke up. "It's only targeting a specific box; the other boxes bounce the signal off of it."

"So there's an order. Crow and Quinn are only setting specific bombs off at a time." Artemis.

"but what's the order? They're not in a line or a pattern…" The team started to think the same thing. With Quinn and Crow there was usually no order. They listened to the Joker—end of any kind of order.

"Red Tornado to the team."

"Go Red." Red Arrow addressed the video call from Mount Justice.

"The Martian could not figure out what alien tech it connected to it. I have also run my own specs and haven't the foggiest." An image and the test results were put on the screen. "The tech was giving out a faint signal that we've sent to Batman to decode. However we have found out that if you put ARACHIS HYPOGEA on it the signal is broken down and the box becomes non responsive."

"Are you serious?" KF sputtered. "How'd you find that one out?"

"Let's just say Green Lantern is no longer allowed to bring his lunch into the lab." Batman opened up another video portal to talk to the team. "I've analyzed the signal and I'm updating the map now."

The map of Gotham popped up on another screen and each of the red dots were then given a number. The numbers were randomly placed on each of the dots were a box was supposed to be.

Batman continued, "It took me a little while to decode and translate with the help of Martian Hunter because the numbers and information where in an alien dialect that even the computer didn't recognize."

There were three numbers with a slash running through them where the two bombs and one box (with the note) had already gone off: 451, 456 and 459.

"I've put the bombs in numerical order for you." Another screen popped up showing tagging each location of the bombs to its numerical number. 451 was first on the list followed by 456 and 459. "As you can see the boxes appear to be going off in numerical order. 451 is the first box that's now at the tower. 456 was the second box planted at the Mayor's office and 459 was the bomb located at the Gotham City Park." The Bat finished explaining.

"Your new mission is to go down this list and naturalize the bombs in order before they go off." Red addressed the young heroes.

"Be careful on this one. I have reason to believe that the bombs are being set off by one of the Joker's men… maybe even Quinn or Crow. Keep a look out for them and if you cannot naturalize them get out of the area before the next bomb goes off." Batman and Red clicked off and the team was left with the screen of the bombs staring them at the face.

"What exactly are we going to use to neutralize them?" Artemis groaned.

KF laughed. "You're going to love this. Miss Martian we need to stop at a grocery store." The team turned to look at him, "We've got to pick up some peanut butter."

_**Batcave**_

"Batman why did you not tell them?" Red Arrow was on screen with Batman. They'd closed the conversation with the kids but Red Arrow had stayed on to talk to the Bat more.

"I don't want to get their hopes up. Besides this tells me that the Joker is up to something else. Crow and Quinn are just a distraction." Bat pulled up the code for the signal again. "There was a message left for me in the signal."

"Was it planted by the Joker?"

"No." Bat looked the message over. "It's a message from Robin."

The message read: DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO BOMBS. JOKER'S GOING TO GET OUT. ACTIVATE POLLY.

Alfred read over the Bat's shoulder. "Master Bruce, what are you going to do?"

"Go visit an old nemesis."

_**South Gotham ~ Luther Corp Warehouse ~ 26 minutes later**_

It took KF a little bit to explain to the team what ARACHIS HYPOGEA was: in short ARACHIS HYPOGEA is the scientific name for peanut butter. It then took them a little bit longer to buy up all the stock of peanut butter from three grocery stores.

Twenty minutes later and the team had collected and neutralized seven of the boxes and were already on the ground looking for the eighth one. It took them awhile to find the small box. Each one was in the general area of the original dot but because of the boxes size and the places picked it was hard to figure out where the boxes were.

_The Bioship has picked up Crow just outside the warehouse. _Me'gann called out to everyone.

_Has he noticed we're here? _Aqualad questioned.

_He's watching us…_ there was a pause. _But I do not think he knows we're aware of him yet. He seems to be waiting for something._

_I think he's waiting for us to find the box._

_I found the box. _Artemis chimed in. _It's in the corner of the warehouse._

_Do not go near it. If he is waiting for us to find it then he's going to exploded it when we're all close by. _Aqualad took on the role of leader. _Red Arrow you and I will slowly make our way to Zatanna. Rocket it is your job to protect KF and Artemis. Me'gann you know what to do. Artemis call out when we are all in position. Remember if we are to capture Crow, we must do this as a team._

"Found it." Artemis called. "KF bring over the neutralizer."

Right as FK ran towards Artemis and the black box the bioship read the signal and the bomb exploded.

_**Outside the warehouse ~ 5 minutes later**_

Crow smiled at the explosion. How many were hit in the blast? Three? Four? All of them? He'd come to personally set the next bomb off, hoping to get a chance at seeing the young hero's scramble to save themselves.

It hadn't taken Crow long to figure out that the League was onto their scheme. But then again he and Quinn were just the diversion. Master J had thought of everything.

Crow dropped down from his perch on a nearby building, placing his binoculars into his small bag at his side. Crow sniffed the air and could smell brunt hair and realized that some of his hair had been singed in the heat from the bomb going off. If the Young twerps had survived that blast then the Light should recruit them to join, well, in irony, the dark side—they wouldn't turn out how Robin did.

Smiling, he kicked a piece of rubble with his foot as he headed to the center of the blast site.

Now onto Phase II of the plan to get Mister J back.

Phase II: let the world see the devastation created in Gotham and then reveal that it'll soon be the world… if Mister J wasn't given back to them. It was Babs' job to get the TV crew, by any means, and it was Crow's job to stand in the heap and relay the message out to the world.

Crow pulled out a bag blood dripping from it. Mister J had set up the plan for his release all on his own. Crow didn't know whose blood it was, and neither did he care. All he had to do was write another message for the world, and Batty, with it.

The box had done what Crow had created it to—exploded. And it had done it well. Then why did he have this nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right?

Crow shrugged it off. Just jittery… he hadn't taken his medicine today. Mister J always told Crow to take his medicine. He shrugged again to himself. He hadn't felt like taking his medicine so he hadn't. Mister J didn't take his medicine, so Crow figured out he didn't have to take his own either. Besides it made things more interesting. The League found him a pain with his medicine how much more trouble could he get in without it?

Crow slipped a phone out of his pocket and held down the number 2. It connected right away. "Harley-girl what's the hold up?"

"Hold 'ur horses Crow. It ain't easy finding eleven abled bodies ta help out."

"Ah. Does the wittle girl need help?" Crow laughed.

_Who's blood does he have?_

_I do not know. But stay in position. Do not attack until we have more information. _Aqualad responded to the others.

A van painted in bright green and purple tore through the crumbling wall, honking on the horn all the way. It stopped right before it was about to hit Crow. Crow didn't move.

Crow moved around to the back of the van and yanked the doors open. "Alright everybody out." He began to pull people out of the van one by one. Each person was bound, gagged, and wide eyed.

Crow's eyes bore into each of them. Quinn stepped down from the front of the Van and went over to Crow. "Here ya go Crow. All of um willin' and ready."

"Come on Harley, a simple step—take off their shirts! Why didn't you do it?" Crow slammed his hand down close to Quinn's face.

"Ya' don't have ta be so mean ta me." She wrapped her arms around the mad Crow.

"I ain't, just teasin' ya." Crow closed the distance and kissed Quinn.

_Alright, that's a new development. _

_Gross._

_I thought Quinn was Joker's girl, _KF was the last to finish.

_Silence. _Aqualad shut the disgusted teens up.

"I'll just cut the shirt's off." Crow left Quinn standing there are slipped a blade from his shirt. "Did you get the camera crews?"

"Yep. They're watching everything."

"Ops." Crow smiled as he went to the first victim. "Do you think he'll be mad?"

"Mister J? Nah, ya know he likes ta watch." Quinn smiled through her make-up. "Alright ya'll need to get inta a line." She pulled out a machine gun and fired it into the air. "Da ya hear?"

The hostages moved to form a line. Crow passed the bag of blood and a brush it Harley Quinn as he approached the first victim. He smiled, "this isn't gonna hurt you one bit." He turned the person around by the head, held up his knife and cut the back of the person's shirt off. "We've already got enough blood." Crow leaned down and patted a spot on the women's back off. "Well I might nick you just a little bit."

He moved on to the next person. While Quinn moved stepped up and dipped the brush in the blood. She carefully wrote out the first letter; G. They repeated this with the Young Justice watching another ten times. When the two were done they stepped back to admire the view.

Their message read; "GIVE US JOKER."

"What do you think?" Crow looked at Quinn. "Vibrant enough?"

"I think it sends your message loud and clear." An arrow was shot between Quinn and Crow sending a cloud of Red Smoke everywhere. It was followed by the sound of KF running and when the air cleared the hostages where gone and the young heroes stood in front of the two villains.

Artemis had an arrow drawn and pointed at Quinn while Red Arrow had one strung for Crow. Aqualad had his weapons drawn and water ready for action. Zatanna held her hands poised and ready to chant. Rocket had one hand fisted in the other ready to lay some smack down. KF and Miss Martian stood to the outside ready to fight.

"Ah. Look what the cat dragged in." Quinn glared at Crow as he held his hands up. He could feel the steal of his blades clinging to his arms. "Dead super heroes… or at least you were supposed to be."

"Eh." Crow shrugged. "Miss Martian must have stayed in the bioship. The Kid and Blondie were protected by the Black's ability. While I bet Wetkid and the clone were protected by the magician….but wait. Where's Superbrat? I hear he's never going to age." Crow darted his eyes around looking for a hint of the other Cadmus Clone.

"Looking for some one?" Superboy swung his fist toward the back of Crow's head.

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**So… sorry. But I didn't calculate right. Robin's whereabouts will be identified in the next chapter… opps. hope you'll keep reading.**

… **I did give you over 2,500 words though. Doesn't that count for something?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright…**

**Who's ready to learn where Robin is?**

**Just to let you know I give you this time 4,000 words exact - of just plain story.**

**It took me awhile to write this one because… welllllllllll**

**I w****as in the ER…. Who knew setting plates for dinner could be such a bad thing? True story. Ended up with stitches in my thumb. Woot.**

**Need something here so that you'll see a shift from live action to memory...so I'm just gonna leave these (:) two smily faces that are one :)**

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Crow felt Superboy's fist coming from behind and he dodged his head just in the nick of time. Spinning out of the way he pulled on his blades and flung a set toward the rest of the Young Justice team. They ignited on contact with the ground as Crow had to dodge another swing from the clone.

Crow reached for a different dagger tucked into his boots. He turned just in time to run it into the side of Super boy as Crow darted further away from him.

Crow flashed an evil smile as he held a glowing green dagger closer to his face. "What's the matter Superboy, feeling a little grin?"

Superboy took a few steps back from Crow, "Kryptonite?"

_Change of plans, _Aqualad spoke to all of them, a_ttack plan delta six._

The battle was on.

The eight young 'sidekicks' versus two of Gotham's villain, well, sidekicks—both Crow and Harley Quinn weren't real supervillians, but were rather considered the sidekicks of Joker. However the two were on a different level then the other eight as they began a deadly dance.

Crow and Quinn complemented each other well. When one would attack one of the young heroes the other would quickly follow with their own attack. When one would dodge the other would come up from behind to take down the hero.

Quinn and Crow ended with their backs to each other facing a ring of the young heroes.

Evidence of Crow's attacks were on each of the members, including Superboy. Each hero had slashes and cuts on their arms, legs, faces, and torsos. But they weren't the only ones showing evidence of a fight.

Both Quinn and Crow were breathing heavy as they were circled by the eight heroes. Quinn's jacket was ripped and she was bleeding out of the side of her arm. One of her pigtails had been torn out of her head and her hands drooped to her side. Crow had one sleeved ripped and bruising showing up on his arm.

"I fear we might be at an impasse." Crow flashed his teeth.

"Where did you get the Kryptonite Crow?" Artemis taunted, "Dad steal it for you?"

"Maybe," Crow looked over at Artemis, "At least I'm proud of my father."

Artemis almost dropped her bow. But snapped out of it just in time and pulled it tighter aiming for Crow's eye.

_We need a new plan. This isn't working. _Zatanna spoke to the others.

_Yeah._ _Not that I don't like the whole Mexican standoff but we need to wrap this up. _

_I've got an idea, _Me'gann shifted weight as she stared at the two criminals.

_No Me'gann, _Superboy looked at her, _I don't think …_

"So," Me'gann looked over to where the bag of blood had been discarded. "Where'd you get the blood from?"

"Let's just say that it was a…" Crow and Quinn looked at each other and smiled, "hmm, willing donner." Quinn turned back to Me'gann as she said the last part. The two locked eyes and Meghan's eyes began to glow green as she invaded Harley Quinn's mind.

(:)

_Joker took the knife deeper into the skin. Moving the knife up and down, he drained his victim of more blood. The blood rolled down the boy's stomach and into a waiting funnel where it went into a bag. The boy's chest was naked except for the bruises that lined it. The boy was in a forced kneel as his hands were chained and suspended above his head. _Me'gaan _could feel the joy rolling of Quinn as the Joker looked at her. He smiled and Quinn's heart fluttered._

"_Isn't this much more funner than what we were doing before?" Joker asked the victim as he set the knife down._

"_Isn't this more fun." A small shaky voice corrected._

_The Joker's hand connected with the boy's face. The boy lifted his head and spit a mouthful of blood into the Joker's face. _Me'gann felt her world crush as she saw the mask on the boy's face_, "And to answer your question, it beats sleeping with you." Robin replied. _

_The Joker hit Robin's face again and_ Me'gann was forced out of the memory.

(:)

"It's Robin's." Me'gann spoke out.

"Hey no fair cheating and looking in her mind," Crow held an on conscience Quinn in his hands, "I thought you Martian's were better than that, or at least the white ones are supposed to be."

Crow closed his mouth before he talked more. Information on the teenagers kept popping into his mind. He'd known that Miss Martian was using Quinn's mind that's why he'd knocked her out. He'd known who Artimis was and who her parents were. He'd known that Aqualad was dating a girl named Aquagirl, no those weren't their real names… Kaldar and… Crow shook his head. He was going nuts, but whether or not the information was true it was affecting the teensters. Crow filed this away for later to figure out why.

_How does he know this stuff about us? _Me'gann asked the others. They were each drawing a blank. He'd known that Red Arrow was a clone, and the League and gone through a lot of trouble to keep that secret locked away. He'd hinted about knowing who Artimis's dad was, and had pulled Me'gann's secret straight into the air.

_It does not matter. _Agualad signaled the group, _there is the eight of us against him now. We take him down and ask him later about the information and about Robin._

Just as the team was about to spring into action they all heard a vile laugh.

It rang through the building and put chills down all of them. Crow they might have been able to handle… Crow and Joker—not a chance when they were all no feeling the aster.

Joker walked through the opening where the doors used to be. "Daddy's here." He signaled and he henchmen rose around the building. "Did you miss me?"

Crow rolled his eyes, "I have this handled." Joker's smile dropped, "actually I don't. They're being mean to me." Crow's eye's shifted and he held up Quinn, "Look what I had to do to Harley-poo, because of the evil Martian."

Joker frowned, "Well that's not good now is it?" He produced a machine gun from his jacket, "We'll just have to fix them up. Make them laugh a little." He pointed the gun towards the group. The teens shifted and pulled away from Crow.

Joker was pointing the gun at Crow who stood their smiling with Harley Quinn in his hands.

"Get down." The Bat's voice rang from the room as the Joker shot at Crow. The young heroes ducked behind the rubble as a large explosion racked the building and a green smoke filled the room. "Don't breathe in the smoke."

The group could hear a haunting laugher.

_KF clear the room of the smoke._

_On it. _

It took a couple of seconds and the zoom of Kid Flash to wipe the area clean of the Joker's toxin.

When the room cleared the three villains where gone and Batman stood in the place where Crow had been standing. The Cape Crusader held onto another piece of cloth with another message written in blood.

THE BIRDY SAYS HI.

"Where'd they go?" Kid Flash turned his head around and around trying to figure out the villain's escape route.

"Down the tunnel." The Bat answered. That's when the eight teens noticed that the Bat was standing over a hatch. "Crow was ready and pulled it up the moment Joker started to fire."

"Should we pursue them?" Kaldar was ready to jump down the tunnel but waited for the command.

"No." The Bat turned away.

"What?" Zatanna, Meghan, and Artimis shouted.

"They've got Robin!" Miss Martian finished.

"I know." The Bat looked over them. "Back to base. We need to talk."

**~Joker's hideout : **_**Ten Minutes Later**_

Crow had laid Quinn in the middle of the Queen size bed and was washing all the cuts and bruises with a warm wash cloth. Joker sat nearby with a book in hand and was laughing every few seconds.

Crow glanced over at Joker and shook his head returning to the task of cleaning up Quinn. Joker might not know how to show his love to Quinn but Crow did.

"How's the book?"

"It's the best." Joker laughed and set it down. "I've never read it that way before," he tapped the book with a knuckle, "puts a new twist on it."

Crow scoffed. Joker had been reading the book backwards and upside down. Crow felt the bed dip with Joker's weight. Crow stilled as he felt Joker's hand trace up his spine.

"We should put a smile on her face." Joker leaned down and kissed Quinn on the lips. Crow turned his head away to look at the hideous paintings. He'd never understand Mister J or Quinn for that matter. Quinn groaned and stretched her arms out and entwined her hands around Mister J's back as she deepened the kiss.

Crow went to leave the two put stopped when Joker's hand pressed harder into his back. Mister J wanted him there.

Joker broke the kiss, "So," He turned to Crow, "I've been thinking."

Crow stilled. Mister J wasn't happy. This wasn't going to turn out good for Crow and maybe not even Quinn.

Both Quinn and he replied, "oh, Mister J."

Quinn pulled herself up, still wrapped around Joker. Mister J turned his face back to Quinn. Crow inched his hand forward closer to Quinn's body and ready to pull her out from under Joker if the need came.

"Quinny-poo, do you know," the Joker leaned put his mouth right next to Quinn's ear and spoke, "if Crow," he licked Quinn's ear, "took his medicine?" Crow attempted to get off the bed again but was stilled by Joker's hand that hadn't left his back.

"Oh no Mister J," Quinn's eyes filled with lust, "I don't."

"Harley Quinn." Quinn's hands fell off of Joker, "You were supposed to pay attention."

"Sorry Mister J." Quinn's lip trembled.

Joker leaned closer to Quinn as she lay on the bed, "It's not your fault." Joker's hand on Crow's back pushed him down into the bed, "Crow probably had you distracted." Joker abandoned Quinn and turned to Crow who was now face down in the bed.

"Crow." Joker's hand lifted off of Crow's back.

Crow slowly turned onto his back to face Joker, "Yes Mister J?" His whole body locked up. He couldn't defy his master.

Joker stroked the side of Crow's face, "did you take your medicine?"

"I…"

"Don't lie to me Crow."

"…" Crow hung his head and whispeared, "no."

"I thought so." Joker rolled his shoulders and held out his hand, "Knifes."

"Come on, Mister J." Crow started to argue.

Joker slammed his hands down on to the head board above Crow's head. "Crow do not disobey me."

"Here Crow," Quinn pulled Crow out from under Joker. "Let me help."

The two took off Crow's vest and shirt. Crow had blades strapped on every inch of him. Three blades on each arm between the wrist and elbow, another set strapped from elbow to shoulder, ten attached to his stomach, and four on his chest. On his back he held another seven, slightly larger than the others and in a special sheath. Crow started on his arms and Quinn started on his back. The two pilled them on the table with Joker's book.

Crow turned to face Mister J.

Joker raised an eyebrow.

Crow sat on the edge of the bed. Quinn took off each boot and rolled them out on the table revealing another five knifes for each boot. The total on the table reached forty-one blades.

Joker grabbed ahold of Crow's neck and pulled him back down onto the bed smashing Crow's face into the pillows. "Crow."

Crow stopped moving. He stopped breathing.

"Turn over." Crow slowly flipped. He stopped when he was looking Joker in the eye. "Quinn." Crow lifted his arms up over his head and Quinn secured them tightly to the headboard. Joker leaned closer into him and laid a kiss onto Crow's forehead. Crow closed his eyes. He could feel Mister J hovering over him and then just like that he was gone.

Crow opened his eyes back up. The room was empty. Mister J, his knifes, and Quinn had all left the room.

And then the pain came.

It racked over his whole body, a green glow going over his skin. Crow fought for breathe. His body stilled and the green glow vanished. Crow took another deep breath in and that's when he noticed something. It was small and had a purple flashing light on it.

POLLY.

Personal Observer Lollapalooza Yeilder. Okay so the name needed help. He hadn't finalized the plans with dad yet before…

_(:)_

_Crow finished the last tweeks on the small device. He smiled setting down the tweezers and sat back to admire the view. He'd been stuck in the bat cave for a couple of days now because of getting grounded. Okay, maybe not the Cave but the house. How was he supposed to know that doing the prank with Babs would get him into so much trouble? No crime fighting for the next week and confined to the manor. No one even figured out Babs and he had caused the trouble, well no one except for Batman. _

_He reached over and pressed a button on the computer. The small object rose into the air zooming from left to right until it stopped on Robin. An image flashed on the Bat's screen of Robin sitting in the chair. _

"_Alright, working so far." He hit a few more buttons and the computer began to run a full health diagnostic on Robin. While he waited on that Robin hit a few more buttons and the image of himself was bushed to the side and upper right corner of the screen and a fish-eye image of the rest of the cave was brought up. The screen beeped at him, and put a glow around a human figure approaching—Batman. _

"_What's this?" Crow heard the voice behind him as he hit a couple more buttons on the screen. COMMAND-BATMAN. The camera on the little box zoomed in on Batman. _

"_What do you think?" Crow felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look. But when he'd been expecting the Joker, instead he found himself looking at Batman._

"_What's is it." The Bat swatted at a small object hovering close by. It moved out the way._

_Crow felt his lips move, "It's called a Personal Observer Lollapalooza Yeilder, or rather POLLY"_

_The Bat raised an eyebrow at hi,. "the name needs work."_

"_I know."_

_The Bat's hand reached up to his mask and he started to peel it off…_

_(:)_

_** Mount Justice ~**_

On the monitor the team watched Crow's body convulse and give off waves of green. Bat stood at the controls. He clicked on a couple of keys and the computer automatically closed in on to Crow and began to do scans of his body.

"What's going on?" Zatanna watched the screen.

"This system was designed by Robin. We were going to test it out before the mission eleven months ago." Bat clicked a couple buttons and caused the image of Crow to go up to the corner, "It's a Personal Observer Lollapalooza Yeilder….Robin named it. Basically it's a controlled self-sustaining security camera. It can follow a subject without being seen and is too small for detection. It also uses WiFi or 3G to stream live feed back to headquarters."

"Cool." KF smiled putting the acronym together, "Polly."

Bat ignored the boy, "I'm currently running a scan on Crow to figure out what's going on."

"How did we get Polly in to Joker's headquarters?" Suberboy spoke up.

"I visited Joker in prison and set the device to follow him." Bat stroked the keyboard again and brought up another screen. "This is the footage I got."

On the other screen it showed how Joker was released by the warden and had simply walked out of Bel Rev.

The screen with Crow flashed and the computer spoke up, "Analysis complete." A third square was added by POLLY, showing the results of the scans on Crow.

"That is different," Kaldar spoke up as he looked over the results, "There is program detected an alien material in Crow's system."

"Well, what is it?"

"The computer has registered it as—"

"—Kryptonite." Conner stared hard at the screen, "Crow has Kryptonite in him."

"That would explain why both you and Superman could not take Crow down. Kryptonite in his blood stream would slow the two of you down."

"It'd also explain his sparkling personality." KF commented.

A couple of the younger heroes looked at KF for an explanation.

"Come on," KF threw his hands up, "I do read every now and then. Hello, scientist." When the other's just shrugged at him, he continued on, "Kryptonite does bad things to anyone who comes in contact with it. If you don't believe me ask Superman, he had to deal with his whole home town being infected with the stuff. Trust me it isn't good for the psyche."

The screen flashed again and put an outline on Joker as he walked back into the room.

The team watched the story unfold.

~ _**Joker's Headquater's~**_

"Finished yet Crow?" Joker stood closer to the bed.

Crow's feet shot out from under him and wrapped around the Joker throwing the villain to the floor. There was a raspy reply, "Go to Hell."

"Temper. Temper." Crow kicked Joker with his foot and was going to follow with the second when Joker caught that one with his hand. Joker held the foot and twisted causing Crow to push back toward the headboard in pain.

Joker flung the foot down and jumped onto the bed. Sitting on top of Crow he grabbed a knife from behind his back. "Why so serious little bird?"

Crow head butted Joker, breaking the villain's nose. Joker didn't appreciate this and head butted the boy back. He then wrapped his free hand in Crow's hair and pulled the boy's head back up towards his face. Crow spit blood into Joker's face.

Joker, using Crow's head, banged Crow's head against the headboard. He then released the bloodied head of Crow and reached into his pocket. Smiling he pulled out a handkerchief and whipped the blood off of his face.

"What is it with you and spitting blood into MY FACE!" Joker took the hand with the knife and slammed it down by Crow's head cutting into his check.

"Thought it needed new paint." Joker's hands wrapped around Crow's neck chocking him. Crow's body glowed green and his body shook. Without letting up Joker leaned down and put his lips close to Crow's ear.

"I think I like the new skin color on you." Joker smiled. He turned his head and smashed his lips onto Crows.

Crow could feel the hands around his neck lighten up and then the disappeared. He wanted to move or throw Joker off but with the lack of oxygen he was finding it harder to fight back. He felt the knife pull off of his check and then it was pulled against the flesh on his chest and down his stomach. Crow felt hot liquid follow the knife down.

Joker broke the kiss as Crow tried to breathe, "Weren't expecting that were you?" He reached his arm out and flung the knife into the wall. It missed POLLY by a centimeter. He pulled Crow's head up and forced the boy to look at his own chest, "Tell me better or worse?"

Crow didn't answer.

"Hmm? Hmmm?" Joker released Crow.

Crow smiled and whispered something.

Joker tilted his head, "What was that?" He leaned closer to Crow's face.

Crow spit blood into Joker's face.

Joker smacked Crow and used his handkerchief.

"Boy wonder," Joker got off of Crow, "when are you going to just give up and accept your mine." Joker ran his finger against the side of Crow's face. "They haven't found you yet and they're not going to." Crow tried to bite Joker's finger but Joker moved his hand away.

"Go to Hell Joker," was Crow replied as he wheezed the words out and another wave of green hit.

"Fine Robin." Joker smiled, "I'll be right back. Crow needs his medicine."

Robin took a deep breathe through the green pulses. "Bat." He turned and looked to POLLY, "You need to activate the tracking." He stopped to cough up some blood. "Alpha… Lulu… Tango… drie." Robin gulbed down air.

~_**Mount Justice~**_

"Beta… Gamma… Charlie… zwei…" Robin paused to cough up more blood. To say the team was in shock was describing it mildly. The Bat started to hit the keys and soon passed by Robin familiar with the sequence.

"Location acquired."

A map of the world popped up on another screen and began to zoom in closer and closer and finally stopped on the outskirts of Gotham.

The screen flashed and highlighted Joker and Quinn coming into the room.

~ _**Joker's Hideout ~**_

"We're back!" Quinn sang as she came in with a new outfit and an iron box in her hands. Joker had a syringe in his hand, "did ya' miss me?"

Robin spit blood into Joker's face. "Look," He laughed through the pain, "My aim is getting better."

Joker hit Robin and wiped the blood off his face.

"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." Joker sang in an off note key as Quinn opened the box she held. A bright neon green color flooded the room. Joker pulled a large medical bottle from the container that was giving off the green light. He uncapped it and put the syringe in, turned the bottle upside down and filled the needle up.

Joker smiled as he approached Robin. "This might hurt." He tied a surgical band around Robin's upper arm pulling it tight. He tapped Robin's vein.

"Oh," Quinn came closer. She'd shut the vial back into the container and had a huge smile on her face, "I just love it when we get to play doctor."

"There's the medicine," Joker stabbed the syringe into Robin's vein laughing all the way as Robin cried out in pain. "And here's the sugar," Joker leaned over and covered Robin's mouth with his lips.

Robin's body started to convulse as he tried to throw both Joker and the syringe out of him. But to no luck. Today wasn't Robin's day.

"Funny thing is," Joker said stepping away and removing the needle form Robin's arm, "would've never known Kryptonite could do this to a person if it wasn't for my friend Lex Luther. Interesting guy Lex." Joker patted Robin's head, "he makes me want to kill and not in a good way." Joker laughed again.

Robin's body stilled.

**~Mount Justice~**

POLLY sent out a warning. It was still measuring Robin's vital signs and all of them had plummeted to the ground when Robin's body stilled.

The team held a baited breath.

Then the machine registered a heart rate and the vital signs picked back up.

"REAlly?" Robin coughed, "Mister J, did ya have ta cut me this time?" His voice was weak but was growing stronger.

Joker stroked Robin's head as Quinn came closer. She smiled at him and asked, "Should we make it up to you?" She leaned over the bed and released one of Robin's hands.

Robin turned to stare into Quinn's eyes.

"Crow." Robin looked at Joker, "Answer me this," he leaned in closer, "who's your daddy?"

Robin smiled, "Who else?" He leaned up and gave Joker a long drawn out kiss.

The group watching the show witnessed Robin's complete transformation into Crow. The person laying in the bed was not their Boy Wonder. It didn't sit well with any of them to know that behind the evil mask of Crow was their Robin controlled by Kryptonite.

* * *

**Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!**

**Sorry about the whole Joker kissing Crow/Robin… Robin… or rather Crow kissing Joker. Bleh. **

**Give a shout out if you know where the refrence to Superman's past comes from. …. Originally kryptonite wasn't in the plan… but the more I thought about it the cooler the idea became. Oh well, now he's infected with Kryptonite… wonder what's going to happen next. heheheh**


	5. Chapter 5

**Oppsss….**

**Sorry about the really late post. I'll try to post more frequently and if I don't you can bet you'll get longer chapters if I don't…. like this one. I also had a bit of a scare… I had several copies of the fanfiction on my computer and deleted the wrong one and had to restore it… and it took me forever to figure out what I was going to write… **

* * *

Crow untangled himself from the pile on the bed. He'd never been able to sleep well wrapped up in Mister J and Quinn. He stopped by the table where his knifes where usually kept but didn't see them instead Mister J's book was on the table. He picked it up and turned it upside down. Opening up to the middle of the book Crow started to read it upside down, but for him it was the same way either way—just a book of boring words with no purpose.

Crow sat the book back down without making a sound and headed out the door. In the back of his mind he could feel a presence floating about his head—but he just couldn't place it. Crow shrugged again and left the room with the sensation of being a pirate. Smiling to himself he spook to no one, "Polly want a cracker?"

"Recognized B02 Robin."

Crow spun around in a circle trying to figure out where the voice had come from. Something about the voice reached into the back of his mind as he looked around for the source. There was a fly buzzing around but nothing else.

Again he felt himself shrug. Hearing things, understanding things, knowing things other's shouldn't was just a part of who he was. Crow walked past the kitchen and into another room and down a set of stair cases. Joker's house wasn't his typical hideout. This one was more of a house, well sort of. It was a house inside of a warehouse, so in a way it was home. The 'home' consisted of three bedrooms, one for each of them, a living room with a lot of questionable content, a kitchen that held… well let's just say that no one will ever cook in it.

After Crow had arrived, Joker built in a full lab under the house. After going through a door at the end of the kitchen there was another door for the elevator that went down into the lab. Crow got to the door and pushed in the code to go down to the lab.

Standing in the elevator gave him more time to think. Thinking was good. Crow could help plan… no, thinking wasn't good. Crow started to pace back and forth in the small enclosed elevator. The fly had followed him. Crow tried to swipe at it, but on his fourth attempt he gave up. He smiled evilly; it wouldn't matter if it was going into the lab with him. It'd end up dying anyways.

The elevator dinged.

"Come on little fly," Crow looked at it, "Come in and die."

He laughed as he walked into the dark room. Crow took a few more steps and then clapped his hands. The lights came on.

All along the wall and floor there was splatter of blood and a cage in the center of the room. Currently it didn't have any one in it; Joker hadn't been back for very long. There were three tables in the room. One table had different torcher devices around it, another held different chemicals, the third was full of different tech. Bits and pieces of technology with three large screens behind it and a stack of paper under the screens. There was a lap light by it. It was the third one the Crow went too.

Stepping into the area the screen and table turned on flashing a light blue glow around the room. The stark Kryptonian writing popped up onto the screen. Some of the letters were written harshly by hand while others looked like computer renderings.

Crow's eyes looked at the words and he understood them. They were some of the same words that had been running through his brain since he woke up in Joker's arms ten months ago. A forgotten lore, the story of something, no, someone forgotten. Crow tapped his fingers on the screen and got to work.

**~ Outside Joker's Hideout ~**

The team stood ready and in position. All eight were there, plus a few of the Justice League Members. Green Lantern, Martian Hunter, and Bat stood at different positions. They were all waiting on the Bat's command to go into the ware house.

Bat's eyes watched the screen. He saw his son turn to the screens and write out words in Kryptonian.

_Joker is a dead man. _Bat had never been into killing anyone, even disgusting twisted man like Joker, until now.

_Batman, _Martian Hunter spoke up, _You're thoughts are unlike you._

Batman took a deep breath and remembered that they were all connected. While he'd gotten really good at hiding things from the younger ones because of Martian Hunter but even his anger was going right through the Hunter and to the others and frankly it was scaring everyone else. They'd never really known Batman could feel such anger.

"Robin would not want you to kill." Martian Hunter flew in next to the Bat. Bat had hidden from the others what was happening in Joker's hideout but knowing his friend whatever had just happened with his son Robin, it wasn't good.

"Don't you dare—"

"Bat—"

Batman held up his hand. He looked over at the warehouse. After watching Robin, no Crow kiss Joker, Bat had turned the camera off. He couldn't watch his little boy being used like that and he didn't want others to watch either, but someone had to keep an eye on the three and so Batdad had.

He'd been training Robin for years and even he never wanted to know that Robin could move like that. Joker manipulated the mental state Robin was in to play with the young boys mind.

_Right now, Crow is down stairs in a lab. We'll need to apprehend both Quinn and Joker without Crow joining in on the fight. _Bat scanned the area picking out each of the young justice members. _KF, you and Aqualad will stall Crow if he comes up. Remember he isn't Robin when he has Kryptonite in him. _

_Don't worry Bat, _KF's words portrayed his own fears, _we can take care of him._

_Alright move in._

**~The Lab~**

Crow rolled his shoulders. This was starting to wear on him. He wasn't sure how long he'd been down there but the finished product he held in his hand was bound to be better than the last. He turned away from the computer screens the gadget in hand when a splitting headache came.

Don't do it.

Crow put a hand to his head.

You don't know the truth.

Crow looked over at the cage. Memories flashing back. He watched the shadow figure of Joker pace back and forth the cage, glaring and throwing one of his fits. He'd seen this happen several times before. Joker would have enough with one of the henchmen and then take his time in killing the poor chap with a bunch of 'fun.'

Look.

Crow looked back at the cage. There was a boy in the cage stripped over everything but a mask. Crow locked eyes with the boy. This wasn't one of Joker's men. It was Robin.

Mister J hit Robin across the face and Crow could feel a matching sting on his own. The Joker try to pry of Robin's mask leaving scratches around the boy's face, but still the mask didn't budge… just like Crow's.

Crow's finger wound around his own mask. When he'd first woken up in Joker's arms he'd been confused and lost. Nothing felt right. It'd taken Joker a couple of days to sort everything out for Crow. Joker had filled in every answer Crow had ever wondered about except one—the mask. Crow didn't even know what color his eyes were. The mask seemed to hold an answer to the one question Crow still asked—who was he?

Crow shook it off. Again with the whole knowing something he wasn't supposed to. Joker had told Crow that it was the Bat's and Robin's fault what happened to him. While Crow couldn't remember what happened to him, he wasn't sorry that he'd never gotten the chance to meet Boy Wonder. They probably wouldn't have gotten along. Now Bats on the other hand…

BAM

Crow's attention was drawn to the ceiling. He could hear loud noise coming from upstairs. He smiled and turned back to what he was working on. Leave it to the two upstairs to find something to do right after they woke up.

BAM.

Crow picked up another piece of tech and started to fit it against other pieces. He was going to build something else to go with his new tech.

BAM.

Crow put the tweezers in his hand down. What if it was Joker beating up Quinn again? He might never be able to understand the relationship between the two, a relationship unhealthy to the start, but even he knew that they loved each other—but sometimes, sometimes that love didn't protect Harley from the physical abuse Joker could lay into her. He'd once seen Harley come away with bruises all along her arms and it wasn't from a fit with the so called heroes.

When the noise above him started to get louder Crow decided it was time to take a look. He was one of the few that could calm Joker in one of his angry rants. He wasn't about to let his Harley get hurt again because Joker couldn't keep his hands to himself.

Crow set down what he was working on, placed his new piece of tech in his pocket, and crossed the room to the elevator. He typed in the key and waited. … and waited some more. Something wasn't right. The elevator wasn't working. He hit a couple more keys and still the elevator didn't respond.

Crow rolled his eyes. This wasn't the first time this had happened and something told him with Joker, it wasn't going to be the last.

Crow picked up a crow bar that was sitting next tot eh doors. He'd asked Joker to leave it there for him, and to his surprise, Joker had actually agreed. Using the crow bar, Crow pulled the elevator doors open. The elevator box was on the ground level. Crow paused a moment and thought about climbing up the shaft and then squirming his way around the box and then into the kitchen, but decided against it when he remembered what happened last time… Joker decided he hadn't seen Crow in a while and had started the elevator when Crow was on the other side… took a set of Crow's favorite knifes and some of his skin the last time.

Crow looked around and shrugged. He liked danger.

Jumping out of the open door he swung onto the cables and began to pull himself up. The noise from upstairs was getting lauder and noisier. Was that Quinn's machine gun going off?

Wiggling his way through the elevator box, he placed his body on top of the elevator and started to finger his way around to pulling out the vents and realized that the vent was locked.

Crow only paused for a moment and reached down to his pant leg where he removed a knife from a shin guard. Joker was always trying to get rid of all of Crow's knifes, but Crow was always finding new places to hide them.

As Crow worked on the lock with his knife he stopped. There wasn't any noise coming from the other side of the door anymore. In fact, it had grown eerily silent. Unlocking the vent, Crow carefully pulled it open and looked around the room. The kitchen looked the same, which was weird with all the noise Crow had heard. Carefully maneuvering himself he slipped through the vent and pulled another knife from his other pant leg. He didn't have all his knifes on him, thanks to Joker, but he still had a few up his sleeve, well more like pant leg.

He carefully maneuvered himself out the small kitchen window that Joker had insisted on putting in, even though the only view was the warehouse.

Crow looked around the warehouse, while the kitchen looked untouched the warehouse didn't. Joker had put of a good fight but this looked like more than he could handle. The walls now represented Swiss cheese more than the sturdy walls they used to be. Joker and Quinn hadn't done this.

Joker might be a little nut, but he stressed an orderly house—hence the house to begin with. Joker might like to blow stuff up but not his own. Crow got the sinking suspicion that he wasn't alone.

"Hey there Crow." Crow turned and aimed his knife but didn't let it go. He only had a few of them on him. He didn't want to lose one unless he could get it back.

"Well, well if it isn't slow boy," Crow kept a knife pointed at KF as he scanned the area for anyone else. "Or is it Boy Slow?" He smiled back at KF, "where's the rest of the posse?"

"Behind you."

One by one each of the Young Justice formed a ring around Crow and then Batman joined the picture.

"Give it up Crow." The Bat took a step closer to him and then stopped.

"Oh, this is a takedown then?" Crow looked over the Bat's shoulder and saw that Martian Hunter held onto a knocked out Harley Quinn and Green Lantern had his green webs holding an equally knocked out Mister J. Crow's mind started to work. He'd been in prison before… all be it, for only a half an hour, but that was enough for him, he needed to find his way out of this situation. His mind went blank as he tried to recall what he needed to do and what he had to fight with.

_What are we supposed to do now? _Rocket asked the others. With Martian busy they'd forgotten that the Bat was no longer connected to the rest of them.

_We wait for Bat to give us a signal. _Aqualad responded.

_Look at him, _Zatanna's hands dropped in inch, _do you think he even knows it's us?_

Crow's eyes drilled holes into each of them. He tilted his head to the side. "Bats." He did a turn in the circle, "Am I just supposed to give up?"

No one answered, now that they knew who Crow really was it was hard to attack and it was hard just to stand there and watch their friend taunt them.

Crow smiled, "did you know that Robin's mask can't come off?" He twirled a knife in his hand becoming completely still. "Drove Joker nuts. Bet you're here to pay him back aren't you?" Crow felt a shudder go through him as he remembered the scene form downstairs in the lab. The boy in the cage.

"Robin…" Bat took another step forward, a hand reached out toward Crow.

That's when Crow decided to attack. He flung a knife in the Bat's direction and another one towards Rocket. He remembered her power; if he could distract her she wouldn't have time to hit him with a shield. Miss Martian wouldn't risk diving into his mind when everyone else was still connected to her—they'd all know in an instant. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what he'd been working on. He spun around them smiling. Crow had wanted time to test it out, but oh well, such is life. He pressed the button on it, but his smile fell when his eyes looked with Batman's. For some reason, even though he couldn't see the eyes all he could see when he looked into the Bat's face was sadness. A sadness that went past what he saw in Joker… and then it was gone along with the warehouse and everything else.

~ **10 minutes later ~**

"Artemis," Kid Flash was the first to recover. He'd also been sent flying into Joker's makeshift house. "Artemis, where are you?" KF stumbled onto his feet and looked around the mess. There was a large black spot where Crow had been standing. The other team members lay in different directions also pushed back by the blast and we're just starting to wake up themselves.

KF spotted Artamis and ran to her. Carefully he wrapped his arms around her and gently shook her awake.

She groaned, "What happened?"

"Crow used a bomb." Bat's voice stilled them all. KF turned to look at the Bat and saw him standing in the middle of the black spot where Crow had been standing. There was something wrong with the Bat. He was still, more so than usual. KF looked down at the spot as everyone got up and moved closer. Everyone was silent. Deadly silent. Did Robin really…? No, would Crow really….kill himself?

"hahahah." Joker's laugh broke through the silence. "Blew himself up did he?"

The Bat turned put his back to Joker.

"hehehehe," Joker's face broke into a huge grin, "That's my boy."

Bat was on him faster than KF could follow. The hits that landed on Joker broke bones. It took both Green Lantern and Martian Hunter to pull the father off of the villain.

"Never your boy." Bat spoke.

"Oh, gee I've hit a nerve." Joker tried to laugh through the pain.

Harley Quinn stared at the two, she could tell something had changed. Bat was always for the noble cause, not matter what he'd never acted that way. But this was different. The Bat had snapped. "Look Batsy, it was all his idea."

The Bat turned his attention to Harley. Harley shut up.

The Bat turned away and left. He went out the doors and did what he was always good at—disappeared.

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…**. Review if you've got something to say…**


	6. Chapter 6

…**.. and just like Young Justice….**

**We too shall continue on. I posted two chapters at a time because I owe you guys **

**I took creative liberty with some characters… also would just like to note that I do not own the DC Universe, nor any of the characters of Young Justice. **

**WARNING: I did use some language… so if you're not aware please remember that this does have an M rating. **

* * *

Alfred had a feeling something had gone wrong. A few minutes ago he felt a presence enter the house and it stayed with him as he finished up dinner. Not knowing what it was Alfred went on the hunt. He started upstairs with the boys' room. The two new wards of Master Bruce were, for once, doing their homework. If only they'd take after Master Richard and study more than practice their martial arts. Jason Todd and Tim Drake were two of a kind, but dear to Mater Bruce, and despite his efforts were growing on him also.

The two looked up at him smiling. Jason Todd would turn fourteen and had already dawned a mask, despite the discouragement of Master Bruce. He himself had seen little chance in discouraging the boys. The two of them loved Bruce and adored the relationship their older brother had with him. No, the two would follow in the path of Master Richard, and hopefully end up with a different fate.

"Alfred…" Tim looked like he wanted to ask a question but stopped. Looking away. Alfred knew what they boy had really wanted to ask. Is Bat back, and did he have Dick in tow?

"Dinner ready Alfred?" Jason asked instead.

"No," Alfred looked the boys over, "to both your questions. I'll call you when it's set. I just thought something was amiss." Alfred turned to go.

As soon as Alfred closed the door the boys turned to each other. They both remember the last time Alfred had felt like something was amiss and it was. The last time that happened was the day Dick didn't come home, what was going to happen this time?

"Bat Cave." They both looked at each other with a mirror smile and left their homework. If they wanted to find out anything the cave was the place to start.

It took the two of them less than three minutes to get to the Batcave, and when they got there it was a sight they never wanted to see.

Batman was standing by the uniforms his face unmoving. He didn't look at them when they entered. He was just staring dead straight Dick's backup uniform. They watched as Bat reached his hand up and touched the glass. They knew their dad, something had gone wrong, very wrong.

"Bat." Tim reached his hand up towards Batdad.

The Bat turned to them, almost mechanical, looking at them but at the same time looking right through them.

The three were frozen like that until Alfred appeared.

"Dinner is ready Master Bruce."

"Let's go eat boys." He walked past them.

Alfred put a hand up and stopped the Bat from walking anywhere, "You are not going up stairs in your uniform, Master Bruce."

Bruce looked down at himself realizing that he was in fact still in his Bat gear.

"Please change before coming upstairs." Alfred escorted the two boys out and left Bruce to himself.

Bruce watched them go, his only thought—will I get the other two killed?

**~ MOUNT JUSTICE ~**

The team was doing just as well as their mentor—horrible.

They each sat around the table looking at it. Meg'an tried to make some comfort food but nothing was helping.

Superboy's fist hit the table with a bang. "Why?"

No one answered him. Everyone knew that there was always a chance that on a mission they might not come back… but to have one of their friends take their own life without reason…

"We may never know why." Kaldaar couldn't face the team that he was supposed to lead. He wasn't sure if he could do this anymore.

"This isn't right." KF slammed his hands down on the table and got up. He wasn't going to sit here and just take it. Not now, not ever. Rob was his best friend. They'd been planning a double date with Artemis and Zatanan the next day before he was taken. Artemis and KF hadn't been on a date since—they'd both decided that they wouldn't go until Rob could go with them.

KF found himself going to the main entrance. Could he have stopped Crow from pressing the button?

KF started to type away on the keys and brought up POLLY's program. It wasn't hard to find. And the program itself was still open, showing a damaged picture. Who knew it could survive such a blast.

"Come on," KF hit the buttons on the key board. Computers weren't really his thing—science yes, computer science—no. Hitting a few more keys in frustration he pulled up the recording of today's events. Slowly he got it to maneuver it to the time when POLLY followed Rob out of the elevator shaft.

"Come on, Wally," Artemis strung her arm around her boyfriend. "Don't do this to yourself." She'd followed him a little later worried what he'd do next. She knew how close the two were in real life—best friends. Artemis knew for a fact that the one person Wally wanted standing at the alter with him would have been Robin.

"I just have to see—"

"Wally." Artemis took Wally's face in his hands, "you can't change the past and seeing if you could've stopped this from happening isn't going to change the outcome, it'll just make you feel worse."

"Babe—"

"Wally." The two looked at each other. Artemis tried to think of how to get Wally away and then realized there wasn't anything she could say or do to change the Speedsters mind, "Here, let me."

Maneuvering the controls Artemis took over and brought the screen to the few seconds before hand.

"Robin…" They watched as the Bat pushed his hand out to capture Crow, and then it all went so wrong. Robin took down Bat and Rocket. He then deflected each one of their attacks and throw Wally off of him.

Now in the recording, the two could catch that he pulled the bomb out of his pocket. Then boom. No more Rob, and explosion, and the team was thrown back.

"Did you…"

"…yeah." Artemis moved the images back in time, slowly.

The team was flung, an explosion, then what appeared to be Robin disappearing into thin air.

"Play it again."

They watched it forward. Crow pulled out the device, pushed the button. Robin was then engulfed in a blue light, there was an explosion, an aftershock from the light, and then the team was thrown backwards.

Artemis started, "Does that light look like—"

"—a Zeatabeam light?" KF finished.

"Oh my god." Artemis looked at KF.

KF met her eyes, "Rob's not dead."

**~MIDDLE OF NO WHERE ~**

Crow's feet hurt. His feet were used to hot pavement but desert sand was never going to be his forte. Not to mention the heat was starting to get to him. Joker would laugh at him. That's what he gets for not setting a destination before igniting. Too bad the device only worked one way and was only good for one use. Next time he was going to think that one all the way through—damn, it was hot.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the really… really, really, really, really long wait… life's been busy… I took down two rooms and laid down carpet…not to mention writer's block.. plz forgive.**

* * *

_~Mount Justice~_

The team was assembled in the main room watching the scene play out and at the last second they all saw it. The flash and then the explosion.

"Red Tornado start running a trace on the Zetabeam." Batman's cold voice shock every one into action as KF rewound the screen to pause on the face of Crow, their Robin.

"I will warn you now," Red Tornado looked at Bat, "it will take time. I will have to reconstruct the signal from the data in the video, even from then Crow has had seven hours over us."

"Just find him." Batman turned his eyes to Tornado. "Find my…"

The last word Batman wanted to say died in his lips but Red didn't need him to finish it. Batman wanted him to find his son.

**~ Middle of Nowhere~**

"Breathe."

_Breathe?_ _Why?_

"Come on kid." The boy could feel harsh pounding on his chest. Compressing down on his lungs fifteen times. Then there was a lips and air. The lips left and the pounding began again. There was a sharp pain and in the back of the boy's mind he knew he now had a rip broken. Then there lips pushing air down into his mouth. "Don't give up."

_Don't give up…_

**_(:)_**

"_I don't want to anymore!" The boy threw himself down on mat. He was tired and frustrated and just done._

"_Oh, micul meu pasăre," warms arms wrapped around the little boy on the ground, "Don't give up."_

"_But it's hard and I … I don't feel well."_

"_Micul pasaere," The woman sat down with the boy in her lap, her long black hair hanging into his face, "you're burning up." Her cool hand touched his forehead. "If you're sick you shouldn't be on the bars."_

"_I know. But I'm done." He curled further into her lap, "I don't want to do it at all anymore. Never again."_

"_Oh, paraere," She pulled the boy in tighter, "do not say that."_

"_But I just want to sleep."_

"_Sleep now." She turned the boy so that she could cradle him, "but do not give up."_

_The boy looked up into her face all he could see through the hair was the lightest blue eyes, like mist on the ocean. _

"_Remember micul paraere," She tucked his black hair off of his sweating forehead, "a Grayson never gives up."_

**_(:)_**

The boy accepted the air. He drew it in. A Grayson never gives up.

**~ 2 hours later, Mount Justice~**

"I've got the location."

All heads turned to face Tornado as he pulled up a map on America. Slowly the satellite image started to draw closer into the map until it hit the desert in the middle of nowhere.

"Where is this?" Aqualad spoke up.

"The Nevada desert." Batman spoke up, "Specifically on the border between Idaho and Nevada."

"Why did he go there?"

Bats didn't answer was he started to hit a few more keys and the image showed the surrounding area.

"Scans show that there is nothing in the area, nothing underground or any type of establishment for 200 miles."

Bat tapped a piece on his ear bud, "Agent A," there was a pause, "I need you to pull up the stretch files on Robin."

**~Bat Cave~**

Alfred sat at the computer. He'd been waiting for Bruce, or rather Batman, to get a hold of him. Bruce had seemed distant during dinner and had chewed the boys up for everything they did. Eating too loud, noting being funny enough, driving him nuts, why couldn't they just be quiet… finally to save them all Alfred asked the boys to finish their dinner and homework in their room tonight. Batman had delivered the news to Alfred but he couldn't bare to tell the boys—not yet at least. He was their brother, and his son. Alfred could understand that after all, as far as the old man was concerned, Richard had been his first grandson. So, Alfred did. He told the boys as he sat them down in the kitchen to a large glass of milk and freshly baked brownies. He didn't want to do his famous chocolate cookies because Alfred didn't want to associate the cookies with the news of Richard's death.

Needless to say—Batman didn't go on patrol that night.

Then about two hours ago, the Bat had gotten a call for the Mountain. He'd raced off, almost forgetting to put his cowl back on and dawn his gear. Alfred had stayed with the boys, and when Bruce did call he was full of hope. The greatest detective had missed something and for once Bruce was happy that he had. Robin, or Crow, no his son had built a portable zeta beam and had used it. There was a chance that Robin was still alive.

Now Alfred had sat at the Bat computer staring at the keys waiting for Bat to ask him to send over the schematics.

"Agent A," Bat's voice cracked over the speakers. Finally they'd found the location.

"Here."

"I need you to pull up the stretch files on Robin."

Clicking away he pulled up the MR2 files and typed in his password, **FAMILYABRJTD.**

The MR2 files didn't just hold the identities, DNA, finger prints, and BIO's on the JL, but also everything they were capable of. The stretch files were a computer algorithm designed by Robin years ago that took the information in the files and if a League member went missing from a last known location it could deduce based on the geography of the land the possible locations the Leaguer could be. The program also allowed for known information to be put in—was the Leaguer injured, sick, angry, upset, trapped the options were endless.

"Condintion?"

"Kryptonian Poison."

"Miss D. is running the program. They'll be sent to you as soon as they're done."

Alfred didn't hear a reply from them and he didn't expect to.

"He's not dead is he?" Jason's voiced his thoughts as Alfred turned to face the boys. They'd snuck down a while ago—but just like their dad and older brother Alfred knew they'd turned away from the screen when Alfred had entered his password in.

"There is hope." Alfred looked at them. "if we can get to him in time."

"Whad'da ya mean?" Todd asked, his big eyes staring. Alfred looked at him and he swallowed, "What do you mean?"

Alfred gave the boy a curt nod for fixing his grammar. As a proper British butler, Alfred didn't like it when any of his charges didn't use the full range of their vocabulary.

"Alfred means," Tim looked the youngest of five over, "that Richie might be out from Joker's grasp but if we can't get the Kryptonian out of him soon enough he's going to die any ways."

"Yeah," Jason turned to the screen, "and who knows how long we really have to do that. We don't really know how long the Joker's been pushing the green stuff into him."

Alfred turned his attention as the computer started to plot the possible locations Robin could've gone in the last seven hours. And it wasn't looking good. Each dot the appeared on the screen was a red circle, which indicated death—if the leaguer was by themselves and had not gotten help. After each red dot was a chunk of blue on the map… a possible location of the leaguer if they'd gotten help. Alfred prayed that someone had found Robin in time and that that someone was good because Batman was off to find his son—and God help the people that would keep the Bat from his son any longer.

**~ Mount Justice ~**

"Everyone head out." Bats voice echoed through the room.

"We'll divide into eight groups when we land. Each group will take a different direction; we'll fan out and find him. Based on the information we'll receive en route." Superman's voice took over the command as the Bat had already left the room.

Superman put his hand on Conner's shoulder. The youngsters weren't sure when they'd been joined by their mentors but each one had theirs by their side. Miss Martian was already in communication with Man Hunter. Red Arrow, despite being the 'clone' was already head towards the bay with Green Arrow and Artemis in tow. Rocket had Atom at her side, Kid Flash and Flash were already out the door, competing with the Bat to get off the Mountain first. Zatanna was left standing in the room with Black Canary. But at that moment Zatanna didn't feel the loss of her father—she was more worried about the boy she'd come to love and care about—Robin.

At that moment it didn't matter to anyone what had been going on before, Batman was finally close to having his family back. The League had failed Batman for the last eleven months—they would not fail him in this. It was time to bring Robin home.

**~ Middle of Nowhere, Idaho ~**

"Hey there sleepy head."

Dick could feel a soft, cool cloth being placed on his forehead, "clad."

"clad?"

"Hot…so hot." Dick lifted his hands and tried to push everything off of him. He needed to get cooler. Where was Joker? Why wasn't he helping?

Dicks hands met with his own sweaty skin. There wasn't anything on him. Maybe if he could just get his skin off…

"Hey now," cold hands pressed down onto his, "stop that."

His eyes fluttered open and all he could see was the sky and was that some green hair? No it was a tree.

The voice was back, "I know you're hot, we're on our way back to our house and we'll have a nice bathtub full on ice for you."

Ice? Water, "so thirsty." Dick tried to lift himself off of the traveling beast and onto solid ground but as he lifted his head he was met with a swirling world instead. His head thumbed back down and onto the soft lap underneath him.

"I know you are, but you're not keeping it down. Your body's just spitting it back out," the cool cloth returned to his head and Dick could see the side of the beast which was wired because it looked like the side of a truck. "I'm going to have to put an IV in you," the hand turned his head back up the sky and a face popped into the view. "Do you understand?"

"Yeah, IV." Dick looked into the eyes of the woman above him. Her dark brown eyes met his,

"Yeah… you must eat chocolate a lot."

The woman smiled.

Dick wanted to smile back at her but then he felt his world go dark. Dick's thought—wow I haven't even had lunch yet.

"Jolle!" a hand pressed into Dick's throat, "His pulse has gotten weaker."

The woman leaned closer into the boy she was holding. "Hey, you still with us?" She nudged his head. The boys body had gone limp. If only they could see his eyes.

Jolle had gone to medical school and was the doctor for their small communal ranch. It was just by miracle that she'd been with them on this trip to 'look for gold.' Jack told her she'd needed a break and he was right. The two love birds decided to go with their two best friends and the trip was more a chance to camp out under the stars away from everyone else and the worries of feeding all the kids. Everything had been going to so well too, unitl they'd spotted him.

They'd spotted the boy by complete accident. One moment he was walking yards away from them waving at them and then next he was down. It took Jolle and Jack five minutes to reach him to see if he was all right. When they'd found the blonde boy he was out cold.

Jolle had set right to work reading his pulse and soon figured out that the boy wasn't breathing. She'd then, with Jacks' help, spent the next half-an-hour bring the boy back from his grave. With no medical equipment they weren't sure if they could do it.

The boy had woken up a little bit to give them a very faint laugh and then was out again, but breathing on his own. Jack had then tried to remove the mask to see if the boy was conscious of not, but the mask wouldn't come off. No matter how hard they'd pulled and tried to get it off it was stuck. They soon let that go as Jolle had set to work assessing the boy. He had scraped and bruises that she'd seen in earlier years associated with abuse. Jolle was sure they'd broken a few rips. After finding the boy they'd all agreed that they need to leave as soon as possible and had started to tear down tent.

It wasn't until they heard the worst scream in their lives, thirty minutes later, and come from the teen that they all realized that the boy was running a high fever. The group decided to ditch the tent and drive home.

Now their house was in sight and they'd radioed ahead for help. All they had to do was get to their house that served as the hospital and get the boy into the tub.

"Come on now kid, don't die." She began to slap gently at his check. Dick's body jerked.

"I'm awake Al." The kid slurred out, "no school today."

"Hey kid, stay with me." She patted the check again.

"No," the kid turned his head away, "I want to go out on Patrol."

"Jack!" Jolle called from the bed of the truck, "Drive faster!"

They were already driving as fast as possible on the dirt roads. The speed was helping cool the boy down as the wind rushed into the back of the truck and down the teens body.

"Hey what's your name?" She moped more sweat off the boy's face."

He gave a faint laugh, "can't tell." He smiled up at her, "Bat's I'll kill me if I do." He gulped down air, "what's yours?"

"Jolle."

"Alfred would hate your name." The boy laughed again, "well okay. It definitely wouldn't be asteris for him." The boys head slumped to the side.

Jolle was afraid she'd lost him again; she brushed his check, "Why wouldn't he like my name?"

"Oh, well," His head turned back to her, "he's British." He chuckled again as if that explained everything. He stopped suddenly, "you know, for a monster it sure feels like a truck."

The truck slammed to a halt. Jolle focused on the boy. He was worse off than she thought. The child couldn't hold together a coherent thought or stay focused. He even thought that the truck was a monster. If only she had a thermometer to check. Whatever his temp, it wasn't good for him to be running a fever this long.

Dick wasn't sure why the monster stopped but then there were hands on him. Grabbing and pulling, he wanted them all to let go. Didn't they know it was too hot? Spinning with the world around him he swung out and kicked the legs of the person closest to him and then sprung out of the truck and onto the floor. It came a lot quicker then he thought. His legs gave out. Oh so he wasn't done falling yet. Now he was. He could feel the slices in his arms and legs open and greet the gravel with new friendship.

"Ow."

"Ow?" One of the guys that'd come to help get Dick out of the back of the truck and into the house was hopping around on one foot starting down at the boy who laid crumbled in a heap.

Everyone was at a standstill, not knowing what to do with the kid. Jolle carefully climbed out of the back of the truck and headed to Dick. "Hey kid, you okay?"

"Been better." Dick pushed himself up and moved closer to a tree. Leaning his naked body against it he tried to focus on the people around him.

"All right," Jolle looked down at him, not sure if he'd tried to jump away again, "We've got to get you inside," she reached out to him and he flinched away, "we're not going to hurt you." She looked up at the three guys standing by, "You need medical attention. We're just here to help."

"Sorry," Dick's defensive stance faded away as his remaining strength gave out.

It took them three minutes to put the boy on the stretcher, get him inside and into the side room where an old fashion tube filled with ice waited.

Dick looked out the door and at a small boy staring wide eyed at him, "Did I fall from a tree?" His body slummed further down, "funny, dad usually catches me. Clad." With that, the boy wonder gave into his fever.

Jolle spoke, "Kat I need an IV started yesterday."

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**Translation Notes:**

_**micul meu pasăre **_**means in Romanian "my little bird,"—the nickname Dick's mom calls him :0 **

**clad : hot**

**AGAIN: sorry about the long wait I wanted to update every week… but now I finally understand why some authors don't update sometimes for what seems like forever… Life. That's my only excuse and I'm sticking to it.**


	8. Chapter 8

**And now for something slightly different **

~ Middle of Nowhere ~

When the team landed they'd each headed out in their direction as quickly as possible using the data Bat had supplied them with, but no one was getting anywhere. Z (Zatana) wrapped her arms around her as she continued to walk forward, headed to the next point with Black Canary.

Z felt lost. In a desert surrounded by all the people she trusted and loved—things weren't feeling safe anymore. Tracking, for what seemed like circles for her, she kept moving. Out of the corner of her eye should could see Black Canary raise her hand as if to try to speak to her… but what could their councilor say? Every one Z had ever loved kept getting pulled away.

Z's eyes lost focus.

_The mission was supposed to be easy. _

_A quick in and out. _

_But then again… nothing was ever quick or easy. _

_They'd just gotten done training with Black Canary when the Bat had come in with an urgent , but easy mission. There was information to gather and they were needed for it. _

_Z remembered this part easily enough. She had watched the other's leave after the Bat to get ready, but instead of following, she waited for the others to leave and pulled Robin off into the side of the hallway. All she'd wanted to do was talk, but instead she'd been spun, afraid at first that Rob had mistaken her for another bad guy she'd been prepared to fight, but instead stilled when their lips met and the two of their bodies melted together. _

_His lips were soft, and even though he was a little bit younger, he was in charge. He was helping her , and in a way was her foundation as she dealt with everything. _

_Then just like the kissed had started he twisted around her and the last thing she could recall was his laughter as he disappeared into the dark. It had taken Z three minutes to remember where she was and that she was supposed to be headed to the zetatubes to head out on the mission. _

"Zatana."

Z was brought out of the memory.

"Yeah Black Canary?" She turned to look at her.

"We should talk."

Z rolled her eyes. Nothing good ever happened when an adult started a conversation with, "we need to talk." Sure Black Canary said should, but who was she fooling? When the den 'mother' said talk, you talked… or you'd be talking to your mentor. Which for Z was fine because her mentor, father, was still trapped inside Dr. Fate. But talking she could do without, "About what?"

"Zatana," Black Canary stopped walking and pulled the teen over to her, "I know this isn't easy on you."

"ON ME?" Z shook her head, "it isn't easy on any of us."

"We'll find him." Black Canary swept the girl into her arms, "It'll be okay." It took Z a moment to realize that she'd started to cry. This wasn't like her, but out here in the heat, in the dirt, and with their hope of finally having Robin back was starting to drain on all of them, especially Z.

Z let the tears fall. She cried, not for the first time for her father, for her lost boyfriend, and for the place she'd come to call home.

**~Middle of Nowhere ~Idaho**

"ANNE!"

The house's foundation shook as Jolle yelled at the top of her lungs. Jolle had thought they'd gotten a handle on the boy then things took a turn for the worst. His heart stopped beating.

"ANNE!" Jolle slammed her hands onto the boy's chest attempting to restart it with the force.

There was running outside but Jolle didn't care about it as she held onto a faint beep from the machine. The heart was working again, but with all her medical experience Jolle knew they weren't out of the woods yet.

The door slammed open to the house and people got out of the way.

The boy's body started to give off a very faint green glow.

Jolle felt a hand settle on her shoulder.

"Anne," Jolle turned to her friend, "you have to help." The fear was written in Jolle's eyes, "I don't know what to do."

Anne smiled and let go of her friend. She walked over to the boy who's skin had started to send out small waves of green.

_Clear the room. It is not safe. _Anne knelt down by the boy.

"You heard her out." Jolle turned to everyone pushing them out of the room.

_You too, Jolle. I fear even your metabolism cannot save you. _

Jolle was shocked but she left the room, closing the door behind her. Everyone watched as the pulses of green pushed through the bottom of the door, almost like a dense fog. The lights around them started to flicker and then the most horrifying scream followed.


	9. Chapter 9

If you guys ever forgive me for taking so, so long to post... you'll all be my heros :)

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With the door closed Anne got to work.

Anne wasn't human. If you couldn't figure it out from her pale green skin tone, her tentacles, black eyes, lack of ears and hoofed foot would've given her way.

Her long tentacles coming from her face wrapped around the boy. Anne had taken one look and knew what ailed the boy. _Craoczleao._

Craoczleao was a form of torture that she'd been familiar with on her home planet while the Kryptonians had still been alive. Some of the Kryptonians had believed that if her people would just get over their desire to heal then they would be great weapons to help aide in their wars. Not her people's war, no Kryptonian wars.

_Peace child. _Anne pushed her mind into the fragmented one of the boy's. _I do not seek to harm. I cannot. _The boy's mind, although broken in the poisoning fought her off. Anne opened herself up to the boy mentally, allowing him to see her inner thoughts as she would have to see his.

_Me'gan?_ A small and weak mind answered back.

_No child, I am not a Martian. _Back in the real world, Anne pulled the boy out of the tub, pulling his closer to her. She began to give off a magenta light.

Another scream tore from the boy's body.

_I… I don't understand._ The boy's defenses were staring to build back up.

An evil laughter split the air, rather not the air on the outside but in the mind…

…

**IN THE MINDS**

"We should just kill her." Crow spun a knife on one of his fingers while looking down at a strange alien that had invaded.

"Killing is never an option." Robin spoke up from the other side.

"Spoil sport."

"Shove it Crow." Robin turned to look at the… girl? Actually he wasn't really sure what was going on. Every once in a while he'd blink and everything around him would change. One moment he'd be in the Hall of Mount Justice with everyone else trying to cheer them up. But it was like he was a ghost. He'd yell for what he'd want but no one would hear him. The next blink he was back with Joker and then another back with here in the void that the three were currently in.

The alien spoke, "Peace child."

Robin and Crow looked at her.

"I see there is more healing to take place then I first thought." The alien regarded both of them at the same time, it's head splitting in two to watch both of them. Crow took a step back and Robin was a bit awed. "But before we can mend the soul, I must first heal the body."

"Excuse me?" Crow and Robin spoke at the same time.

"Silence." The alien closed her, its?, eyes.

Crow and Robin looked at each other. They knew of each other but had no idea how they'd both ended up here. But the villain and hero were starting to find a new friend in each other in this common unknown alien. Robin nodded to Crow and Crow just shrugged his shoulders. What was that supposed to mean?

Crow's smile grew. Robin didn't know why but he knew what Crow was thinking of doing. He was going to attack the alien. Robin tried to open his mouth to warn the alien, but nothing happened. His eyes widened.

Crow shot another look at Robin and noticed that something had spooked the Boy Wonder. What was his problem? Crow was about to comment about a cat catching the tongue, when he figured out what had surprised Robin. Neither of them could speak.

Mind people and their stupid mind games.

The alien opened her eyes. "Forgiveness," her head went back into one, "I had to reassure everyone that you were alright."

"That who was alright?" Robin questioned, his voice now working.

"Yeah, madam," Crow pushed closer to her, "that who was?"

"Peace." The alien's head split back again. "I have drained the body of the poison, but that is all I can do. Be at rest child, till I can do more."

Robin could feel his eyes droop, he heard a thud and saw that Crow had collapsed on the ground. A pressure began to build on him and he too followed the villain to the ground. The world around him going completely dark.

**Back in the real world…**

Anne flexed her tentacles, gently placing the boy's body back down on the ground. There was going to be a lot of explaining to do and this wasn't going to be easy. But first John, was going to have to make a call to his employers.

The JL would want to know that they'd found Robin, and that they needed to get her quick before he wouldn't be Robin anymore.

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I know that last part was a bit confusing, but bare with me a little bit, all will be explained...


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